


Eyes To The Soul

by WindMeister8



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Brother-Sister Relationships, Confessional, Crisis of Faith, F/M, Religion, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 04:32:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10550120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindMeister8/pseuds/WindMeister8
Summary: The job of a god isn't easy, even if it's for the God of Desire and Affection - Cupid. But after Cupid decides to make some serious changes in the human world, he is forced to face the consequences of his actions.Tasked with fixing the collateral damage he has caused, Cupid takes on case after case. Currently, the one he is working on is huge. Mistrust, lack of faith, and violence are just some of the key issues he needs to deal with this woman.But maybe all it needs is a little push... and a huge risk.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SmexyLeviLover](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmexyLeviLover/gifts).



_With great power comes great responsibility._

_I don’t know who said that but if I find him… or her… , they’ll get a piece of my mind! You would think that my job is easy or that it brings joy to my heart. I thought so too, at first. After all, being the god of desire and affection means that I’m supposedly surrounded by all beautiful things._

_The truth couldn’t be farther from that. As the one called Cupid, my job is to bring or bind… or even push two humans together by tying a string between them. And that string comes from a strand of my beautiful locks of red hair. They can’t see it, of course. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?_

_But no, the frustrating humans just have to go about their own ways. Every second, I would hear the sound of my hair breaking in some part of the world, bringing me agony each time I saw my lovely hair being trampled by those idiotic beings. They just can’t keep the relationships I made for them, choosing instead to find another and then ending up having to break that one too… and the cycle goes on._

_It’s fine and dandy for them, but how about me? I get left with nothing, save for a rapidly balding head! My luscious hair all gone just because of their selfish wants. That’s not how it should be._

_So I decided enough was enough. If they wanted to find their own relationships, then so be it. I was not going to sacrifice my beauty or my time on such fickle beings anymore. Coating my arrows with a different concoction than I usually used, I descended to their filthy Earth and shot every single one of them._

_This newly invented substance created a separate dimension where human hearts took on a physical form that embodied their emotions and desires, allowing human bonds to be clearly visible. In essence, I merely exposed what I could see to the humans themselves so they could decide for themselves what bonds to make or break._

_They called this new form of theirs a Heart Fiber. In that separate dimension, they could view their relationship with another as a strand of their hair knotted to the other’s hair, the strength of that relationship symbolized by the strength of the hair connection. And the best thing, of course, was that they could now see each other’s Heart Fibers if they chose to. In other words, humans could see each other’s true hearts if they so desired._

_It was a brilliant idea, really. I still think it is. I got away with it for a while until the other Gods, including my dear parents, came down hard on me. There was a lot of commotion and chaos, but eventually, we came to an agreement._

_I was forced to deal with the consequences of my action and work with the respective Gods to ensure that the humans still found love and affection – even without my red hair. More work for me unfortunately, but at least I would not have to sacrifice my beauty for them. Still, it’s an extremely cumbersome job. Because I can no longer explicitly force a relationship with my hair, everything has to be expertly planned out so that the humans are somehow coaxed into bonding with each other._

_Like this particular case I’m observing now, for example. I can foresee it will have huge difficulties but I’ll have to tackle it. On the bright side, maybe I can get a short vacation if this ends up well. So I’m going to give it my all._

_Ah, and here comes my opportunity. All it needs is a little push…._

 

The little hand tugged hers, pulling her into the one place she never wanted to visit. She gave the ancient church a once over, raking the interior with her intense gaze. Giving an inward sigh when she saw the pews empty, she focused her attention back on the small girl leading her further in.

“Why are we here, Isabel?” (F/N) queried gently.

The redhead turned towards her, a giant beam showing off pearly white teeth. “I heard from my friends about this place and I think it can help you, Mummy!”

Hearing her daughter’s well-meaning intentions, she could only give a weak smile in response. Although every bone in her body screamed at her to leave this place of worship, she did not have it in her to explain to her young child what differences the reality held in store. How could she when the innocent girl held so much hopes? There was no helping it – she had to go through with what Isabel had planned for her, even if it went against every one of her beliefs.

The young girl stopped at the confessional, staring at it in awe as her bright blue eyes took in the dark wooden structure. She fidgeted, biting her lips as she recalled the next step she was to take. Studying the confessional, she found the latticed opening and gestured to it excitedly.

As Isabel pulled her in, the darkness enveloped them, causing an involuntary sharp intake of breath. (F/N)’s eyes adjusted quickly, taking in the light curtain hanging a few feet ahead and a short step just in front of it. She watched as Isabel knelt on the step, reluctantly following suit. 

From behind the curtain, a clear voice spoke, reciting a prayer whose words she had long ago forgotten. Barely listening to the priest, her gaze was on her daughter who clasped her hands together earnestly, head bowed. Her heart ached in the knowledge that Isabel’s efforts would all be in vain but she did not know how to spare the girl the pain of hoping.

Instead, she listened numbly as Isabel blindly recited the words of confession. “Forgive me, Father for I have sinned.”

She knew that the girl had no idea of what it meant to sin or what the confessional symbolized. Isabel was merely repeating what her friends had told her to do in hopes of her mother, (F/N), getting a job. Seeing (F/N) as a sinner, her friends would have suggested Isabel to go to church to seek forgiveness and that’s exactly what the naïve girl had done.

“Father, can you help my Mummy find a job?” She heard Isabel plead, her bright eyes shining with hope. Before the priest had time to answer, she clasped Isabel’s shoulders gently.

“Isabel, since this is about Mummy, I think it works best if only Mummy is inside,” she reasoned smoothly. “Can you wait just outside?”

The girl gave her a quizzical look before she nodded. “Okay, I’ll be right outside!”

Waiting till Isabel had bounced out the door, she turned toward the curtain and cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to waste your time, Father. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Wait.” The voice came, stopping her. “Didn’t your daughter just say you were in need of a job?”

She shrugged. “Yes, but it’s not something you could help with, Father.”

“Please, try me.”

Rolling her eyes, she made to get up from her kneeling stance but the priest continued, “I’m sure your daughter would find it odd if you were to exit from here so soon. So why not entertain me a little?”

She hesitated, pursing her lips as she realized he was right. With a short sigh, she lowered herself down on the step, crossing her legs as she sat. 

“Fine. I’ll tell you the quick and dirty version of it,” she said. 

“I’m all ears.”

That’s what they all said at first. Knowing what would come next, she launched straight into it. “I’m a believer of science, Father. So yes I’m a sinner in your eyes. Before you tell me that I can repent, I’ll say that I won’t. Anyway, just being a science believer doesn’t deprive me of a job, as you already know. But having a blank heart fiber does. And if you want me to open up my heart, then save your advice, please.”

Silence greeted her as she knew it would. Tapping her finger on her arm, she waited for the priest to either dismiss her or dispense empty words that would fall on deaf ears. 

A cough resounded in the small space as the priest cleared his throat. “I see. Well then, I won’t tell you to repent nor will I tell you to open up your heart. But can I just ask you.. what are you so afraid of to show people your true heart?”

She cocked her head to one side, slightly taken aback by his response. But without missing a beat, she replied, “I’m not afraid. I just believe that there are things that should remain private to oneself, things that shouldn’t affect one’s ability to work a job. And if people need to rely on heart fibers and can’t tell my character from merely observing me… then they’re idiots.”

“Are you saying that the heart fibers that the gods gifted us with… is not needed?”

“Yes, I’m saying exactly that,” she said firmly. “In fact, they’re a burden to our society. Pardon my bluntness, Father.”

_And now you see the difficulty of my job. She wasn’t entirely wrong… but it wasn’t my fault that such things happened. Blame the humans once again. Now that everyone had the ability to see another’s heart, most jobs added another portion to the typical job interview. To judge whether a person had the right attitude or character to take a position, they would request to look at the interviewee’s heart fiber. Of course, people who hid their true desires or character would then be easily found out and marginalized – not only by interviewers but by other people as well. But how was I to know that was going to happen?? I’m not sure how I would fix this either… but let’s see what our dear priest has to say. Maybe he can ease my burden..._

“Let me try to prove you wrong then, if I may. Could I take a look at your heart fiber then?”

(F/N) smirked knowingly and assented. At the same time, she transcended to the parallel plane where her heart fiber resided, opening the eyes of her coexistence. Ahead of her, she could see the priest’s heart fiber – a tall man wearing a Japanese hakama, his hair the color of the ocean, its texture fluid and calm. The markings of a man whose mind and heart was at peace, it would seem. 

“Satisfied?” she asked.

“It would seem that your heart fiber at a glance is a blank sheet, just a white figure who physically resembles you. But I can see that it hides the kind and caring personality that you have.”

Quirking an eyebrow, she frowned at his deduction. “I don’t think that’s correct.”

“Why else would you love your daughter as much as you do?”

Caught off-guard by his response, her eyes widened for an instant before her lips curved up in a simper. “You deduced that from my behavior, not my heart fiber. That doesn’t prove anything.”

“That may be true… But I speak the truth when I say that I saw a glimpse of that kindness from your heart fiber. Anyway, my point is..” He paused. “I believe you should put more faith in our gods and in their gifts to us. Heart fibers allow us to see more than what we initially could. It is there to help us accept and love other human beings-“

“Accept? Love?” She interrupted him, a mocking laugh escaping her lips. “How can I believe that. I don’t need to see a heart fiber to know a person…. And I’ll prove it right now.”

With that, she stood up and in one swift motion, drew the curtain that separated her from the person behind the voice. A blonde man dressed in the black garb of priests stared back at her, his blue eyes wide in surprise. Narrowing her gaze, she studied his every microscopic reaction from the twitch in his shoulder to the dilation of his eyes and to the bulge in his veins, instantly reaching an immediate conclusion.

Fixing him in a cold glare, she delivered her expert analysis. “You hide it well, both in person and in your heart fiber. To an untrained eye, you’re the cool and calm priest but you can’t conceal it from a trained eye. That impulsiveness and anger…. you can’t control it forever.”

The flicker of guilt in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed and she sneered in satisfaction. Spinning around, she strode out of the confessional, never to return… 

 

_…flushing all my hard work down the drain. What a bummer._

_I guess I should have seen that coming. After all, it’s not like I don’t remember what happened to the relationships I made for (F/N). That was not my fault though, so she should really blame the other gods for what happened._

_I gave her a loving family – parents who adored her, a little brother who looked up to her. But the gods used a world war to kill her parents and separate her from her sibling._

_I gave her a bond with the director of an intelligence agency who recognized her talents and recruited her as a special agent. And then I gave her a soulmate who was the top agent of the agency. But the gods used a huge terrorist organization to deal a devastating blow to the agency and claim the lives of a lot of agents, including that of her soulmate._

_Of course, after that I decided to create this whole heart fiber revolution. But I never realized that it would impact her in the way it did. Her blank heart fiber cultivated from years of psychological training in the agency was no longer an asset to them. More importantly, they needed agents who could fake the condition of their heart, showcasing a realistic heart fiber that hid their own. “Blank” heart fibers were unreliable, untrusted, and unsuited for deployment in the field._

_Jobless as she is now, I guess I was right to have blessed her with the single most important relationship she had. Her daughter, Isabel, is the only thing keeping her alive but I need that to change. And fast too, before the gods attempt anything malicious…_

_Or maybe that’s a good thing, now that I think about it. So here goes nothing…_

 

Where did she go, where did she go…. Muttering under her breath, (F/N) frantically scoured the area around the school grounds. She had been held up by an interview and by the time she had reached Isabel’s school, her daughter was nowhere in sight. The teacher had not seen her, her classmates had not seen her, the other parents had not seen her…

Anxiety gripped at her heart as every passerby she asked gave the same reply. With every second that passed, her emotions threatened to overwhelm her rational mind. If she didn’t find any clue as to where Isabel was, it might be time for her to dig out that old set of skills of hers.

As she ran down the sloping road, her frantic eyes caught the distinctive garb of a very familiar person. Running to him, she yanked on his arm, turning the blonde man towards her.

“Father, have you seen my daughter??” 

His blue eyes widened in surprise, his lips parting just a little as he struggled to give a proper response. 

Remembering that he had not actually seen Isabel during the confession, she hurriedly said, “She has red hair tied in two pigtails, wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt and black skirt, and about this height.” She held out her palm at waist-level.

His eyebrows knit in concentration, thumb absent-mindedly stroking his chin as he tried his best to recall the people he had encountered. Seconds passed before his eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers.

“I think I saw her about ten minutes ago with two men. They took that corner, I think.” He pointed to one of the back alleys leading off the main road.

Her heart leapt into her throat as her gaze followed his index finger. Hastily mumbling a “thank you”, she ran in the direction he had pointed out. Turning the corner, she was all too acquainted with the backdrop that instantly greeted her. Broken beer bottles littered the uneven ground, the stench of cigarette smoke assaulting her nostrils with every breath she took.

She pinched her nose as she ran forward, glancing down each path that branched off. Hearing footsteps behind her, she whirled around, eyes narrowed, her hand immediately reaching into her waistcoat. When the same blonde man came into her view, she dropped her hand, clicking her tongue as she did.

“Why are you following me?” she snapped.

The priest came to a stop a few feet from her. “You might need help. Besides I know how the two men look like.”

Shaking her head in frustration, she turned back and continued at a jogging pace. Behind her, she could hear him following in her footsteps. As her eyes shifted from left to right, the glint of something metallic caught her eye. Turning right, she bent down to pick the ballpoint pen, its signature heart on the top smudged by dirt.

Squeezing it tightly in her hand, she slipped the pen into her pocket, silently thanking the small clue that Isabel had left behind for her to find. She had taught her feisty little girl well. And Mama was coming to get her, she swore on her life.

She picked up the pace, and so did the priest following her. Each turn she took, her sharp gaze took in the little details – a piece of cloth from Isabel’s shirt, a small footprint in the mud, the tinge of blood on the grey wall brick. Her chest tightened at the dark red mark, hoping against hope that her little girl was still unharmed. She had to win this race against time at all cost.

Hearing voices ahead, she turned towards the priest and lifted a finger to her lips. He nodded and they crept slowly forward with their backs against the wall. The voices grew louder, a distinct Algerian accent she noted. 

Reaching the end of the wall, she peeked around the corner. There were three men dressed in black leather jackets, discussing something in low tones. She glimpsed the stock of a gun tucked into one of the men’s waistband, and on his arm, a tattoo of a bull. A few feet behind them was an unmarked van, its engine still running. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together, she realized with bitter fear that they were a well-known outfit run by a Mafia gang that focused primarily on human trafficking, of which young children were number one on their agenda.

Her gaze shifted to the van once again. That was their mode of transportation and most probably holding their captives, among them her daughter Isabel. She had to act fast. Reaching into her waistcoat, she pulled out her service pistol, clutching it with two hands. It felt so familiar in her hands, the cold metal reminding her of the times when she took the lives of so many people for the sake of her country. Although this time, it would be for the sake of her only child.

Craning her neck backwards, she fixed her steely gaze on the priest. His eyes were bulging at the sight of the weapon in her hands, his mouth already opening questioningly. 

“Call 911,” she whispered forcefully. “Now.”

With that, she stepped out into the open, bringing her gun up to arm level. The group of men had just registered her presence when her finger depressed the trigger twice in quick succession. Immediately, the two men nearest to her crumpled to the ground, dead before their body hit the earth. 

She took aim at the last man, his big eyes staring at her in horror as he turned to run. But before she could squeeze off another round, a large force tackled her down, causing her breath to leave sharply. She grunted in pain, her eyes nearly watering at the impact. 

Through her blurry vision, she barely made out the outline of the van door being opened, and the sound of it being slammed shut. Adrenaline surged through her at the realization that the other bastard was escaping with her daughter in tow. Gathering her strength, she prepared to deliver a decisive blow to her opponent but just before she made her move, the weight on top of her was suddenly lifted. 

She instantly rolled over, jumping back on her feet, ready to continue the fight… only to find her opponent wrestled away by the priest who had the large, towering man captured in a vice grip. Her eyes widened at the sight, hesitating for a moment.

“Go! I’ll handle this!”

At the priest’s words, she nodded curtly and spun around, giving chase to the van. It wasn’t what he said that convinced her that he could hold his ground, but rather his blazing blue eyes and slight upward curve of his lips. The volatile nature she had detected in him had just been unleashed, and boy, was his opponent going to get it.

Meanwhile, the van had just started reversing and was almost at full speed. Jogging at full speed, she narrowed the distance a little before coming to a full stop. Lifting her gun up, she aimed at the vehicle’s wheels. 

Inhale.

**Bang!**

A hiss escaped from the hole punctured in the left tire. Still, the van skidded and continued rolling backwards away from her, its driver struggling to maintain control.

Inhale.

**Bang!**

This time, the right tire. With both tires deflating, the van drifted out of control, its front hitting the wall at a slight angle. Since it had not been reversing at full speed yet, the crash was not too severe and she could see the driver’s head moving frantically in search for a weapon. Refusing to give him the time to retaliate, she shot through the windscreen. But judging by the continued movement, her aim was off. Gritting her teeth, she fired her last round. The movement stopped. 

Her guard still up, she cautiously approached the van, her right hand reaching for the spare knife she kept tucked in her boots. Reaching the driver’s side, she yanked the door wide open, knife at the ready. But one look at the man and she knew she had no need for it.

With her side taken care of, her head swiveled to the left, finding the priest where she had left him… only now the positions were reversed, with the burly bearded man holding the priest in a chokehold. Things weren’t looking good. The priest’s pale complexion signaled to her that she had to act fast.

Patting down the dead driver’s body, she found a spare magazine. Hurriedly, she loaded it into her pistol with a snap, and took aim. Two shots echoed in the narrow alley, falling the burly man with a thud. Her breath left in a raspy sigh as the priest stumbled forward, clutching his throat. He would live.

Turning her attention back to the van, she yanked out the dangling keys and moved to the back. With a swift twist of her wrists, she opened the doors wide. Two boys and a girl lay on the floor of the van, their hands and feet bound with rope. Her throat choked up as she took in the dirtied Mickey Mouse blouse and the red marks on the girl’s arms. When the girl turned in her direction, the red strands of hair falling away from her face, she could barely suppress her tears.

Climbing into the back, she pulled Isabel into her embrace, cradling the girl’s head in her lap as she buried her face into the red hair. She could hear Isabel’s soft sobs of relief as she stroked her hair, all the while saying, “Mummy is here.”

“You’re safe now.”

 

_Well, that almost didn’t end up well! I know I took a big risk but hey, it paid off. I had to trade an arm and a leg – just an expression – to get the gods of chaos and destruction to make things go the way it did. And it nearly went in the opposite direction I intended it to. Boy she had me going there. If she had lost Isabel… I don’t want to think about it. That would be awful for her, and for me._

_Still, it’s not over. One last bit… and a little more awesome plotting from me…_

 

“Hey sleepyhead, awake now?”

His eyelids fluttered open, the blurry visage in front of him slowly clearing to reveal a woman sitting to his left, looking down at him. Pulling his body up into a sitting position took much effort, his joints aching in several places. His head throbbing, he lifted a hand to press against the back of his mop of blonde hair. “Wh-where am-“

“You’re in the hospital. If I were you, I wouldn’t move too much. You were in a pretty bad shape but the doctor said you’ll be fine in one or two days. So not to worry,” she said lightly.

He gave a weak smile, his eyes surveying the extent of damage on his body that he could visibly see. There were bruises on his arms that had already turned black, and lifting up his hospital gown, he saw a couple more on his stomach. Giving a slight wince, he covered it back up and turned to her. 

“Guess I wasn’t of much help huh,” he joked, an awkward grin gracing his lips.

She snorted in response. “Yeah you bought me just enough time to take out one guy and then come back to save your ass.”

“Sorry about that.” He scratched his head in embarrassment, only to wince in pain when he was reminded of the bruises on his arm.

“I’m just joking.”

Lifting his head to meet her gaze, he noticed the serious expression that had settled on her face. His hand dropped back to his side, and he remained silent, waiting patiently for her to continue.

“Thank you for everything. If not for you, I would have lost Isabel for good. I owe you my life.”

He gave a slight shake of his head. “It’s what any decent man would have done. I’m just glad we found your daughter in time. How’s she doing by the way?”

“She’s fine. A little bruised but otherwise, back to her usual energetic self. After her checkup, she wants to come and thank you in person.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, he closed his eyes. “That’s good to know.”

For a good many seconds, they remained silent, the bustling activity from outside the hospital room being the only sound that permeated the space. With his eyes shut, he focused on his inner emotions, finding the peace and tranquility that had been temporarily discarded earlier during his brawl. He had let his volatile temperament gain the better of him for a good cause but now was the time to keep that under wraps again.

“You remember the talk we had a few days ago… about heartfibers and such?” Her voice broke through his concentration and he forced his eyes open.

Seeing his steady gaze meet hers, she continued, “I uh… didn’t really trust you at the time but things are different now I guess. So I’ll just do my confession now.”

He gave an imperceptible nod, gently coaxing her to resume. She cleared her throat, smoothening out the wrinkles in her pants, before she spoke.

“I grew up in a time of war, where I had to fend for myself and my brother. Life was tough… but we had each other. Until of course, we got separated one day. I roamed around aimlessly in a new country with nothing and no one to call home. Then, I was picked up by a government agency who recognized my talents… and so, my life continued in a similar direction. And yes, that meant I killed people.”

She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat, her wary eyes watching him for any change in his attitude. But his expression remained neutral, her words not surprising him since he had assumed as much about her based on her abilities.

“It was easier to like what I did for a living,” she said. “My heartfiber also evolved that way… from a warrior princess to a veiled assassin, with different weapons surrounding it. The entrance of a man whom I loved, and a precious child, never changed that. It doesn’t mean I’m bad…. But that’s what people figure immediately once they see my heartfiber.”

Her lips pursed into a thin line. “That’s why I never believed in heartfibers.”

He bowed his head in understanding, finally being able to put himself in her shoes and see things from her perspective. But apparently she wasn’t finished.

“But… you were right that I should have faith in them.”

His eyes widened, and he lifted his gaze to meet hers. The warm smile on her face bringing a familiar tingling in his chest, his mind conjured up an old memory that he had thought he long forgotten.

“Because otherwise, I would not have known the truth if it were not for the fact that you left your true heartfiber so exposed during your sleep,” she said, her hand reaching into her shirt, pulling out a necklace.

The moment his gaze rested on the beautiful half of a seashell that dangled from her black chain, his hand flew to his mouth. He could barely breathe, the dull ache in his body completely forgotten, only to be replaced with a ferocious thumping in his chest.

“It’s hard to tell exactly without your other half…” She trailed off, her voice choked. “But remember that day on the beach? You found it… and… I told you that this would be our way of remaining together?”

Her words echoed in his ears, but his focus remained on the seashell. Its pink color the exact same hue as his own, the uneven jagged edges that his eyes traced over were an exact fit for the broken half he still kept. He didn’t need to put the two halves together to know that they were the one seashell that he found in that blue ocean so long ago. 

He always knew the gods worked in mysterious ways but seeing the seashell right in front of him, he was in utter shock and disbelief. After so many years, he had tried to not harbor the hope that she was still alive. And yet, here she was… the one person who was always there for him, protecting him…. his one and only…

“Sister?” He whispered tentatively, tears forming behind his crystal blue eyes as he mouthed the name he had only ever spoken in dreams. “(F/N)?”

“I told you I would find you... Erwin.”

 

_Technically, I made the two of you find each other! So maybe a little thank you to me? Ah well, what does it matter. They never know how much work I do for them. Just look at them… their heartfibers reconnecting, they are hugging and all, smiles and tears…. They deserve it after all. Now they can be one big family, what good news._

_I guess I should give myself a big pat on the back. All ends well. Case is closed. Normally, at the end of each case, I’m supposed to say some big speech about fate, relationships, perseverance and the like… but to hell with that._

_I’m taking my damn vacation._


End file.
